Around the state

Police warn of "huffing" dangers

OSAGE BEACH - Authorities in central Missouri are citing a recent death to highlight the dangers of "huffing" vapors from aerosol products.

Osage Beach police say emergency responders found a 33-year-old man dead Monday morning at a motel. Over three days, the man and female companion had bought more than 50 cans of an aerosol product used to remove dust from a nearby store.

A news release said the cans were all empty. Police said the high from huffing lasts just 15 to 30 seconds and must be repeated several times a day to achieve the desired effect.

The release compared huffing to playing Russian roulette with your body. Police also urged businesses to keep a close watch on their aerosol products and to contact authorities if inhalant abuse is suspected.

State employee indicted in fraud

JEFFERSON CITY - A Missouri state employee has been taken into federal custody as part of a marriage fraud scheme.

Oleksandr "Alex" Druzenko, a Ukrainian national, is among three people indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud in order to evade immigration laws.

U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson announced the charges Friday, although the indictment was handed down in October against 32-year-old Druzenko, who remains in custody pending a detention hearing.

Prosecutors say 60-year-old Patricia Ewalt, of El Paso, Texas, married Druzenko in 2007 to keep him in the country. Darya Chernova, of Chandler, Ariz., is charged with conspiracy for introducing Druzenko and Ewalt.

The auditor's office says Druzenko was out on a travel assignment. Ewalt did not immediately return a call seeking comment, and efforts to reach 38-year-old Chernova were unsuccessful.

St. Louis, county form partnership

ST. LOUIS - The city of St. Louis and St. Louis County are joining together on economic development.

The city and county on Friday announced formation of a regional partnership to be known as St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. The organization will guide efforts to support new businesses and help existing firms grow.

Officials say the effort will create a unified voice for the region and deliver services more efficiently.

Dance studio's roof collapses from snow

GLADSTONE - Police say the roof of a suburban Kansas City dance studio has collapsed because of the weight of snow on it.

KCTV reports that no one was in Priscilla and Dana's School of Dance when the roof gave way. The studio's owner said a dance instructor noticed the gaping hole when she arrived Friday morning to give a private lesson.

The building has been condemned.

Ex-inspector gets
6 months for bribery

ST. LOUIS - A former St. Louis city building inspector has been sentenced to six months in prison for soliciting and accepting bribes.

Anthony Davis pleaded guilty to federal charges in October and was sentenced Friday. In addition to the prison time he was sentenced to two years of supervised release.

Federal prosecutors say that in 2011, Davis accepted multiple illegal cash payments amounting to more than $2,500 in exchange for assuring that buildings would pass inspection for occupancy permits. Authorities say Davis even gave advice on how to conceal conditions that might arouse the suspicion of other building inspectors.

Columbia schools may arm 2 workers

COLUMBIA - A Columbia school district committee is looking into allowing two district employees to carry firearms.

Currently, only Columbia police officers working in district buildings as school resource officers can carry weapons. The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that the district's security director and assistant security director want those in their positions to be able to carry guns, too.

The district's policy committee first looked at the issue last month and delved into more details of the plan this week.

Superintendent Chris Belcher says it's an important issue to discuss, especially after last year's school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Twenty first-graders and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary.

One issue that is being discussed is training for the security staff, which is made up of retired police officers.

19-year-old charged in underwear thefts

WRIGHT CITY - An eastern Missouri teenager is facing charges in a series of burglaries after authorities allegedly found 59 pair of women's underwear and other items in his bedroom.

Nineteen-year-old Michael Stout of Wright City is charged with four counts of burglary, four counts of stealing and one count of property damage. He is jailed on $100,000 cash-only bond.

Warren County deputies were called to a home Wednesday after a 16-year-old girl heard an intruder in the bathroom. Police say Stout ran into a wooded area, but police dogs helped track him down.

Police say Stout had been watching female residents of his neighborhood and targeting their homes.

In addition to the underwear, police say they found other female clothing, sex toys, photographs and feminine hygiene products.

Police: Tow truck driver stole vehicles

CLAYTON - A tow truck driver is accused of stealing two vehicles that had broken down in St. Louis County.

Authorities say 55-year-old Leonard Ingram stole a vehicle that broke down along Interstate 70 near Maryland Heights earlier this month.

St. Louis County police say Ingram also stole a broken-down vehicle previously near Interstate 270 and Lewis and Clark Boulevard, though the date of that theft was not released. He is also charged with attempted vehicle theft for a third incident in October.

Ingram is jailed on $25,000 bond and does not yet have a listed attorney.

Columbia wants to repair Boone home

COLUMBIA - The mayor of Columbia wants to use $500,000 of surplus city funds to repair the former home of ragtime jazz composer J.W. "Blind" Boone.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that Mayor Bob McDavid is proposing to use one-fourth of a nearly $2 million budget surplus to finish restoring the historic downtown home and convert it into a museum.

The city bought the property in 2000 for $163,510. Exterior renovations were completed in 2009 using Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau money, as well as private donations.

McDavid wants to use the remaining $1.4 million in surplus funds to fix city streets.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

Around the state

Authorities in central Missouri are citing a recent death to highlight the dangers of 'huffing' vapors from aerosol products.